Of vestments and Orientation

[benedictgal]

From our friends at Whispers in the Loggia comes the following piece of interesting information:

Whatever one calls it (here, he is referring to the Solemnity of the Epiphany), as promised by his MC in late Advent, the Pope donned a classic-style “Roman” or “fiddle-back” chasuble for this morning’s liturgy in St Peter’s. And that’s not all; come Sunday’s feast of the Baptism of the Lord, B16 will once again celebrate the traditional Sistine Chapel Mass (featuring the baptism of infants) using the venue’s antique fixed altar and ergo, in the ad orientem stance – or, as it’s often dubbed in the vernacular, with his “back to the people.”

I was watching the Mass with joy yesterday when I saw the Holy Father wearing the vestments. However, I was wondering why he had also donned what looked like a dalmatic beneath the chasuble. Does a pope wear both the dalmatic and the chasuble? Is this supposed to signify the “fullness of Holy Orders” or is there another reason?

 

[FrDavid96]

From our friends at Whispers in the Loggia comes the following piece of interesting information:

I was watching the Mass with joy yesterday when I saw the Holy Father wearing the vestments. However, I was wondering why he had also donned what looked like a dalmatic beneath the chasuble. Does a pope wear both the dalmatic and the chasuble? Is this supposed to signify the “fullness of Holy Orders” or is there another reason?

I have this vague memory that bishops used to wear the dalmatic under the chasuble–at least for some occasions. Can’t find anything to verify that though. Looking forward to hearing from someone with a better answer.

 

[Andreas_Hofer]

Yes, it is precisely to show that the bishop possesses the fullness of orders. Bishops (may) wear what is referred to as a “pontifical dalmatic” (i.e. the version of dalmatic worn by bishops) beneath their chasubles, along with the possibility, far more rarely taken advantage of, of the “pontifical tunicle” beneath the dalmatic (the tunicle belonging to the order of subdeacons). These are both scaled-down versions in order to fit them underneath the chasuble.

This will give you a little more info and some pics:dappledphotos.blogspot.com/2006/02/dalmatics-and-tunicles.html

 

[Lazerlike42]

Never liked the fiddleback chasubles. Fortunately St. Charles Borromeo seems to be in my company, so I don’t feel so bad.